We all love deals, but the number one source of getting bed bugs: buying secondhand items. Because they travel on used furniture, in books and bags, and on clothing, you want to take extra precautions when bringing in used items into your structure.
Products That Can Help
91% grade rubbing alcohol. This is a direct kill to bed bugs. Let me note, this product is only effective when wet. That means, if you think you will protect your couch from bed bugs by spraying the whole couch with this rubbing alcohol… well, the moment it dries, a bed bug can walk all over your couch with no issues.
Steri-Fab. Same concept of the rubbing alcohol. It is only effective when wet. You can spray this product inside your purse, backpacks, shoes, toys and such to kill off any live hitchhikers.
Safety Measures
- If you are buying furniture, inspect thoroughly. Look in every crack and seam. Need help inspecting? Click here.
- If you are purchasing clothing, curtains, sheets, or bedding, the moment you bring them into your home, they need to go straight into your washer and dryer. They need to be ran in the hottest cycles.
- If you are getting pet bedding, run those through the washer/dryer if you are able to. If you can’t, spray it down with rubbing alcohol or steri-fab.
- Plastic toys. Spray them down with either 91% grade rubbing alcohol or steri-fab.
- Stuffed animals, purses, bags, and such. If you are able to run them through the washer and dryer, do so. If their label says they cannot be ran through the washer/dryer, spray them down with the rubbing alcohol or steri-fab.
- Shoes. Spray with that 91% grade rubbing alcohol or steri-fab, or run through the washer/dryer.
- Picture frames. You will want to inspect the cracks around the frames, the backside of the picture, and inside the frame. Remember, you are looking for dead/living bugs, droppings, and eggs that resemble sticky salt pieces.
- Kitchen items. wash with the hottest temperature of water. Inspect everything.
- Dressers, desks, and other wood items: Look underneath and inside any drawers. When you bring this item home, take the crevice tool on your vacuum and go over every crack and seam.
- Electronics need to be completely inspected: tops, sides, bottoms, and inside.
- If you are purchasing books, you just need to flip through the pages and inspect thoroughly.
- Cars. Don’t worry. Bed bugs don’t live in cars. If you have a stray bug in your car, they leave pretty quickly. There’s no food source for them in there.